fledgling

noun

fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ 

often attributive

1

: a young bird just fledged (see fledge sense 1)

a bird feeding her fledglings

2

: an immature or inexperienced person

fledgling medical students

3

: one that is new

a fledgling company

Synonyms of fledgling

• novice
• newcomer
• beginner
• apprentice
• freshman
• rookie

Examples of fledgling in a Sentence

a female bird feeding her fledglings

at hockey he's still a fledgling and needs to work on his basic skating skills

Recent Examples on the Web

The short film comes from fledgling filmmaker Tristen Tarp, who directed from her own script. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

The financing packages will keep a huge amount of capital tethered to Nvidia, and away from fledgling or established competitors. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 10 Aug. 2026

This eagle was later determined to be older than the fledgling, but the name stuck. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

His vision is of a basketball player who is hungry to lead a fledgling WNBA franchise. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

fledgling

noun

fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ 

1

: a young bird just fledged

2

: an immature or inexperienced person